Blackhawks’ Rozsival close to return

(MCT) — ST. PAUL, Minn. — Long after his Chicago Blackhawks teammates had left the ice after their morning skate, Michal Rozsival remained and skated until he was drenched in sweat.

The veteran defenseman is working his way back into condition and missed his third consecutive game when the Hawks faced the Wild on Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center. Rozsival suffered a lower-body injury during the Hawks’ 3-2 victory over the Stars on Jan. 24 but is nearing a return.

“I’m glad to be back on the ice and looking forward to getting some games,” said Rozsival, who has two assists and is a plus-2 in three games. “Hopefully I’ll be back in a game soon. It’s nothing serious.”

More medical news: Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Daniel Carcillo is “on the same path we’d expect him to be on” as the winger recovers from a right knee sprain suffered against the Kings in the season opener Jan. 19 against the Kings.

“He’s progressing (and) he seems happy with where he’s at (but) I don’t want to put a timeline on it yet,” Quenneville said. “His workouts are getting a little more intense than they were the first ... four or five days of probably not doing much at all.”

Carcillo is not expected to return until sometime after the Hawks complete their six-game trip.

Quenneville also said there is “no change” in the status of defenseman Steve Montador, who remains sidelined with symptoms related to a concussion.

Fast starter: Patrick Kane has scored or set up the Hawks’ first goal in six of their seven games this season after earning an assist on Andrew Shaw’s first-period score against the Wild.

“If you can come out strong, whether it’s to get a lead or tie the game up, that’s pretty important,” Kane said. “I have to try to keep doing that.”

Sitting: While Carcillo and Rozsival were sidelined with injuries, veteran forward Jamal Mayers was a healthy scratch against the Wild.